St. Landry democrat., 1887-11-19

born in 1919, and was one of the most
Intellectual dwarfs of England. Heath,
in his "Clarastella," in 1868, thus ad-
dressed him:
Though low you seem,
Yet you're both great and high in mems es-
TEEN;
Your souls as large as others-so's your
To greatness virtues not, like strength, con-
fined.
When eight years old, Sir Jeffrey was
presented by the Duke of buckingham to
Queen Henrietta Maria in pasty, and so
charmed was she with the little man, that
she made him one of her pages and in
trusted him with several negotiations Of
consequence, which, be it said, he man
aged with great tact. Jeffrey was very
conceited and quick tempered. "Hee was
high in mind, not knowing himself, and
he would not knowe his father, for which,
by the kings command, he was soundly
corrected" He was continually squab-
bling with a giganticporter of the palace,
who one day amused the crowd by TAX
ing the fellow out of his pocket. In
1914 he accompanied his royal mistress to
France. Here, having been lnsulted by
the Honorable Master CrOfts, he chal-
lenged the latter to duel with pistols!
| Crofts laughingly accepted, and APP
peared on the field armed with squirt.
But Jeffrey was not to be trit1ed with. A
veritable duel followed, in which Crofts
fell MORALLY wounded. The most re-
markable circumstance in Jeffrey's life
was his sudden growth after the age Of
thirty Up to that time he was only
eighteen inches high, but then he rapidly
grew to the height of three feet nine
| inches.
Probably the most wonderful dwarf of
| all times, of whom record has been pre-
served, was Count Joseph Boruwlaski,
whose life derives an added interest from
| the fact that he wrote his own memoirs.
Both his parents were of the ordinary
size, healthy, and well-shaped; yet, of
their six children three were dwarfs.
The eldest son, who was only three feet
six inches high, enjoyed uninterrupted
health, and was SO bright that his
patroness, the Chatelaine Jnowloska,
appointed him to a responsible posi-
ton in her household. A sister, who
died at the age of twenty-five, grew
only to the height of two feet two,
vet was remarkably fair of face
and form. At twenty she was enamored
of handsome young officer, but owing
to her size, her love was notreciprocated.
1t is truly touching to know how she
pined in secret, and how her delicacy
suggested mode of assisting the object
of her affections, who was poor, without
seeming to do so. She induced him to
play the piquet with her, and as gambling
was fashionable at the time, she could
without remark play for high stakes and
always lose them.
Joseph, at the age of thirteen, was
adopted by the Countess Humieska. He
was very clever boy, and before he had
reached his fifteenth year, understood
arithmetic, spoke French and German,
was lively in repartee, just in his reason
ing, and possessed of a sound judg-
ment. His patroness took him with her
on an extended European tour, and
whithersoever they came, Joseph was the
lion of the hour. At Vienna he was pre-
scented to the Empress Maria Theresa in
whose presence he performed a Polish
dance. She then took him in her lap
and asked him many questions as to the
fruits of his sightseeing in Vienna. He
replied that he had seen many note
worthy things, but nothing so extraordi-
nary as what was just then before his
eyes.
And what is that ?" inquired the EN-
press.
"'Tis to see so small a person in the
lap of so great lady"
On another occasion Maria Theresa,
who was at that time waglng war with
Frederick the Great, asked Joseph for
| mi off ha Il of pr,1o
the dainty gallantry of the little fellow 8
reply: MADAME, | have not the honor
to know him; but if | were in his place,
instead of wasting my time carrying on
fruitless war against you, would go
to Vienna and make love to you; and |
would deem it glory thousand times
greater to win your esteem and your
good graces than to gain the most signal
victories over your troops"
The countess and Joseph next visited
Munich, then Luneville, the court OF
Stanislas Leckzinski, titular King of Po-
land, after which they returned to War
saw. What with his views broadened by
the various experiences of travel, what
with his mind filled with interesting in
formation by a course of general reading,
Joseph was now highly accomplished
and agreeable companion, and his society
was much sought after. He was twice a
victim of the tender passion, his first love
being an actress, whom hewished to marry,
but who laughed at him. His affections
were next centred in young French
lady, Isalina Barbutan, whom he married
and with whom he undertook journey
to England, where he died in 1887, at the
advanced age of ninety-eight.
PHILEMON POND.